Electric signaling device.



W. J., WARD'ER Jn.)l 1 ELECTRIC SIGN ALING `DEVEE.' APPLICATION I ILBD Nov by-i911.

Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. J. WARME, JR.

, ELECTRIC SIGNALING DEVICE. l

APPLIQATION FILED Nov. e, 1911. f

Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

-UNITED sTA-.Tns PATENT carica.

WALTER J. WAEDER, JE., orv CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, nssIGNoE. To THE' ADAMS & WESTLAKE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ELECTEIC SIGEALING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters '.Patent.

Patented Sept. 16, 19513.

Application filed November 6, 1911. Serial No. 658,790.

To all whom t may concern:

"Be .it known that I, VALTER J. W'AROER,

The invention relates to electric signaling devices adapted forrailway service, its object being to provide a plurality of incandescent bulbs so as to 'be automatically brought into service and automatically shifted in 'position to substitute a perfect bulb should the one in service become disabled,

by the breaking of its filament.

The invention consists of a shiftable carrier provided with a plurality of bulbs, a spring` for holding the carrier in one of its positions, and means controlled by anelectro-magnet, which, in the present instance, acts directly in opposition to the spring and is controlled .by one ofthe bulbs. In one .form which thc invention may takeI and `wh1ch 1s made the subject of a companion application, the magnet controls a detcnt for holdingthe bulb carrier against the action of the spring.

The invention as Yhereinafter described is illustrated in the .accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan section of a lamp taken througlrits lens; Fig.^2 is a bottom plan View of the casing for carrying the bulbs and housing the shifting mechanism; Fig. is a plan view of the casing showing th'e bulbs mounted thereon; Fig. v4 is a diagrammatic view showing the preferred form of controlling mechanism; and Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing a modified form of construction.

The Kbody of the lamp may be of any desired form, being shown at l0 as of the design usually followed in semaphore lamps, its lens being represented at 11. Within the lamp body there is placed a casing 12 for supporting the bulbs and housing the controlling mechanism.

The bulbs 13, 14, are tted to sockets 15, 16, mounted upon an Oscillating plate 17 vfixed upon the upper end of a tubular shaft 18, which is vertically j-Ournaled through the top of the casing 12. A pinion 19 is fixed upon the lowerend of the shaft 1S and is engaged by a rack-bar 20 pivOtall-y attached t-o an oscillating armature bar 21, which cooperates with an electro-magnet here shown as comprising a pair of spools 22. Thearmature is retracted by means of a spring 23, thereby normally holding the bulb 14, which may be designated asvthe auxiliary bulb, in service position, that is to say, upon the `axis and atthe focus of the lens 11.

The line wires 24, 25, enter the body of the lamp through a suitable aperture, as 26, and lead to apair of binding posts 27, 28, fixed upon the casing 1.2. A line 29 leads from one of the binding posts 27 and, branching at 30, leads thence to both of the bulb sockets. From the socket of the bulb 13, which may be designated the mainI bulb, there leads a return line 31 through the coil of a relay 32, and thence to the other. binding post, as 2S. The return from the socket of the bulb -14 is through a line 33 to a switch arm 34. fixed upon the shaft 1S, and cooperating with a brush 35 suitably anchored to the wall of the casing 12, and from which there leads a line 36'to the binding post .28. A line 37 'leads from the binding post 27 to l the fixed member 38 of a circuit breaker, the

other member 39 of which is carried by the armature 40 of the relay 82. A line 41 leads from the member 39 of the circuit breaker to the electro-magnet 22,- and thence to the binding post 28. The armature 40 being normally retracted by means of a spring 42, the local circuit through the electro-magnet 22 is normally open.

Upon the closing of the main line current is initially delivered to both bulbs. The return line from the main bulb ,13 energizes the relay 32, thereby closing the circuit of 'the electro-magnet 22, which immediately attracts the armature bar 21, thereby turning the shaft 18 tO throw the auxiliary bulb 14 out of and the main bulb 13 into the position of service and opening the circuit of the auxiliary bulb by withdrawing the switch'arm 34 from engagement with the brush 35.

Should current cease to flow through the bulb by reason of the breaking of its filament, or from other cause, thereby Opening its branch of the circuit, the relay 32 is deenergized, the circuit of the electro-magnet V23 to retract the armature bar 2l and turn the sha-ft 18 to shift the bulb 13 out of and the bulb 14 into the position of service, the saine action closing the circuit of the latter bulb. If either bulb is in operative .condition, the other being defective, it will assume the service position, as the auxiliary bulb is'norinally at this position and the main bulb is instantly'brought thereto if it will carry the current.

in the construction illustrated in F ig. 5, the relay 32 is dispensed with, the return line 43 from the main bulb 13 leading through the coils of the electro-magnet 22. in other respects the mechanical and electrical arrangement of the partsis the same. This latter construction is serviceable in connection with bulbs using a current of large volume; the construction first described renders the device serviceable in connection with lamps using a. small volume of current, as the relay 32, which is in series with one of the bulbs, has but little work to do.

I elaii'n as my invention- 1.111 an electric signaling device, in cornbination, a plurality of incandescent bulbs movable alternately to a given position, and electro-magnetic means in series with one of such'bulbs for controllingthe movement of the bulbs.

2. In an electric signaling device, in combination, aplurality of incandescent'bulbs, a. shiftable support for the bulbs movable to two positions and normally occupying one of such positions, and elcctro-magnetic means in series with one of the bulbs for from its normal position when the electro-v magnet is energized.

1. In an electric signaling device, in combination, an electric circuit, an oscillatable support normally occupying one of its eX- treme positions, an incandescent bulb mounted on thc support, a. switch connecting the bulb with the circuit when the support is in its normal position, a. second incandescent bulb mounted on the support and connected with the circuit, an electro-magnet in series with the second-named bulb, a spring urg-A ing the support to itsnorirnal position, a gear mounted with the support, and a. rackbar connected with the armature of the electro-magnet and cooperating with the gear to more the support in opposition to the spring when the electro-magnet is energized.

VALTER J. WARDER, JR.

lVitnesses:

Louis K. GiLLsoN, E. M. KLAfrCi-IER. 

